PHIL OCHS
(Josh Joplin)

I've seen the death of rock and roll.
and I am living proof
that no one here can dig a hole
and not find the truth
Phil you are not gone
Phil you are not gone
Phil you are not gone

And though the poster child tries
he won't survive the scorn
he is killed with compromise
in the tube where he was born
Phil you are not gone
Phil you are not gone
Phil you are not gone

50 fans can't be wrong
50 fans can't be wrong
50 fans can't be wrong
or can they, can they, can they, hey hey hey hey can they, can they?

our surveys say,
this is what they want today.
our surveys say
all they want is sugar ray
Phil you can't be killed
Phil you can't be killed
Phil you can't be killed

50 fans can't be wrong
50 fans can't be wrong
50 fans can't be wrong
or can they, can they, can they, hey hey hey hey, can they?

we are what we've always been
ready, here we go
wait for the signal to begin
and you're on the radio
Phil you are not gone
Phil you are not gone
Phil you are not gone

50 fans can't be wrong.
50 fans can't be wrong
50 fans can't be wrong
or - can they? (spoken)

Notes:
'In the tube where I was born' was the first line of Phil Ochs song 'Half a Century High' featured on the album 'Tape From California'.
'50 Phil Ochs fans can't be wrong' was an ironic slogan on the back of the album - 'Phil Ochs Greatest Hits' (which of course was an album of original tracks.)
Phil it seems thought everyone shared his sense of humour. He had insisted on the album title in the face of opposition from A&M records, who said it would be misleading. He had brought in Jim Glover with whom he had teamed up to form the Sundowners for his first performances back in 1961, to provide backing vocals on this his final studio album. The final irony, and one which could not have been foreseen at the time, was that the last track on this his last album was 'No More Songs'.
Phil Ochs by Josh Joplin can be found on the CD 'Useful Music' (Artemis Records B000056T6C) released in 1999.
RP jul07